Music teacher avoids jail for groping schoolgirls

Kate Osborn 7News Melbourne October 17, 2014, 5:07 pm

A depraved music teacher who has convictions for groping ten schoolgirls has again avoided jail-time, despite admitting to molesting six more.

Sigmund Sokolowski was handed a two-year suspended sentence after pleading guilty to indecent assault charges and four counts of committing an indecent act with a child under the age of 16 in relation to six Wesley College students between 1987 and 2006.

The 56-year-old has prior convictions for groping ten other girls while teaching at two other exclusive schools, but he has never been to prison for his crimes.

The County Court heard Sokolowski led a double life for more than two decades – as a musician touring with Frank Sinatra, Liza Minelli and Sammy Davis Junior, and a child molester taking advantage of teenagers.

Judge Philip Coish said Sokolowski had not abused a child since 2006, and had since completed a sex offenders program.

Judge Coish said he was confident Sokolowski’s risk of re-offending was low.

His victims, who cannot be identified for legal reasons, are not convinced, and fear he could strike again.

“I believe he doesn’t have any insight into what he’s done and how it’s devastated children,” one victim told reporters outside court.

“No amount of jail time would have brought back our childhoods, but we would really have liked even just one month in jail,” another said.

Sokolowski, who was free on bail, left the court wearing a wig and bolted when approached by a Seven News crew.

He had no apology for the girls he has abused.

Child protection advocate Derryn Hinch has been writing about Sokolowski for years.

“He’s one of the worst,” he said. “He’s a pig.”

Hinch has joined the latest victims in urging others who have remained silent to come forward in the hope Sokolowski could face further charges.

How is this allowed to happen? All parents need to be warned. He umpired last Saturday in the Under-18s football for the VAFA at Brens Oval at Parkville. VIC UNI v WERRIBEE

The official VAFA umpire’s newsletter the other day said: Sig Sokolowski hits 150 games today. Sig joined us from the Southern Football league a few years back and has quickly reached that mark. 200 not too far away. Have a great day’.

Sygmund Sokolowski – A Current Footy Umpire

by Derryn Hinch

Tuesday, 15 May 2012

Question. How can a man, a predator, an absolute sleazebag, who is on the Sexual Offenders Register for life, be umpiring Under-18s football for the VAFA?

He does. He did on Saturday at Brens Oval at Parkville. He was field umpire in the game between University High School – Victoria Uni Football Club and Werribee. His name is Sygmund Sokolowski. He now calls himself Sig, replacing the ‘y’ with an ‘i’ — but that hasn’t fooled some of us.

I know a lot about this grubby man, a former school music teacher with a history of sex offences against teenage girls over twenty years. In recent times he molested at least ten female students at five schools. He was convicted over those sexual assaults but did not go to jail.He only got a three-month intensive corrections order and 120 hours of community service.

The crimes he pleaded guilty to covered two schools and the years 2003 to 2005. I know there were many more victims at places like Wesley College. I have met some of his other victims – including one Wesley teenager he allegedly raped back in 1987. He also allegedly indecently assaulted other girls at Emmaus [ emmay-us] College in 1999.

His sleazy reputation and abuse of positions of authority have been known in the music industry for years. I know of some professional musicians who refused to work with him even before he was charged – his reputation was so notorious.

And if some school principals had had the guts to come forward then not only would his true character have been revealed but dozens of other victims could have been protected.

I have talked at length to one alleged rape victim who was persuaded by school authorities not to go to the Police and lay charges. At school after school when he was caught out, the school’s administrators hushed it up, got Sokolowski to move on, to offend again. His standard tactic was to tell parents that he had to tutor their girls at his home because there was no room in the school’s timetable. From memory he did a lot of that in Carlton.

So now he’s in close contact with schools again as a VAFA umpire. The official VAFA umpire’s newsletter the other day said: Sig Sokolowski hits 150 games today. Sig joined us from the Southern Football league a few years back and has quickly reached that mark. 200 not too far away. Have a great day’.

I presume they were talking about football games – not victims. The VAFA was notified about this man being on the Sex Offender’s Register some time ago. How come he was still umpiring on Saturday?

Sure they are under-18 males. But it could give him access to their teenage sisters and female friends. And being an accredited umpire gives this sleazy predator dangerous credibility.

You’ve heard of the Evil Empire. This is the evil umpire. He must be stopped.